Cascade-BikePedPlan-FinalReport2015

The Citizens & Businesses of Cascade | City of Cascade Elected Officials and Staff | Cascade Mobility Team | Southern Valley County Recreation District | Valley County | Cascade School D

City of Cascade, Idaho Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan

June 2015

A Plan for Action for the People of Cascade

Table of Contents Page

Acknowledgments Thank you to the following organizations and individuals who made contributions to this plan

The Citizens & Businesses of Cascade | City of Cascade Elected Officials and Staff | Cascade Mobility Team | Southern Valley County Recreation District | Valley County | Cascade School District | Cascade Medical Center |

Valley County Chamber of Commerce | Idaho Transportation Department | Lake Cascade State Park | University of Idaho Extension

Idaho Walk Bike Alliance | Idaho Smart Growth l Horizons’ Lifestyle Education Team

Project Partners

New Mobility West | The Sonoran Institute l The LOR Foundation l Idaho Smart Growth l Idaho Walk Bike Alliance

Project Consultants

Chris Danley, Vitruvian Planning | Don Kostelec, AICP, Kostelec Planning | Joel Grounds, PE, Precision Engineering

PROJECT PARTNERS ABOUT NEW MOBILITY WEST ABOUT VITRUVIAN PLANNING

New Mobility West (NMW) provides ties across the Rocky Mountain West with the tools and resources necessary to become stronger, more prosperous places through building smarter transportation systems NMW offers technical assistance to communities in this region looking to generate real, on-the-ground progress with targeted issues and op-portunities at the nexus of transportation plan-ning and community development Beyond their local impact, these assistance projects create models that inform and inspire smart transportation and land use throughout the region

communi-This report is the product of a collaborative effort between NMW team members and the partner community that was selected for tech-nical assistance through the program It pro-vides an overview of the project’s goals, pro-cess, outcomes and recommended next steps

NMW is an initiative administered by the oran Institute, a non-profit organization that inspires and enables community decisions and public policies that respect the land and people

Son-of western North America Information about the New Mobility West technical assistance program can be found at www newmobili-tywest.org/community-assistance

Vitruvian Planning is an Idaho based consulting firm focused on active transportation and a healthier built environment Since 2011, Vitru-vian Planning has provided planning services throughout the state including plans in the realm of Safe Routes to School, Bicycle and Pedestrian, Health Impact Assessments, Activi-

ty Connection Plans®, Complete Street policy analysis and several active transportation workshops

As a firm dedicated to making a difference in how traditional plans are conducted, Vitruvian Planning has been fortunate to carry out that vision with communities large and small and located from Ponderay to Pocatello and numer-ous places between

Other contributors to this report included:

Kostelec Planning, Asheville, NC

Precision Engineering, Boise, ID

The plan created herein is the result of the technical assistance funding and the planning process undertaken from April through June

2015 This plan is one that will help to achieve

an improved bicycle and pedestrian network for the City, current and future residents, and the many visitors who chose the community for its many recreational assets

This plan is not simply the result of a few individuals but ther several parties representative of the many interests within Cascade Inclusive in the planning process were citizens, busi-ness community members, public agency staff and leadership, recreational enthusiasts and representatives, educational insti-tution staff, as well as contributions from the state Department

ra-of Transportation

Worth noting is that this effort should not be considered a one time endeavor The Cascade Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan should

be viewed as a living document for a number of reasons

Federal and State funding for transportation projects is dled with an unpredictable future MAP-21, the current (June, 2015) Federal Transportation Bill will be revised in the coming months and will likely result in a significant overhaul of funding programs and requirements

mud-Once projects are completed, others also deemed important should be added in a revised version as priorities and goals change The plan should be updated and revised on a reg-ular schedule similar to a comprehensive plan

With the significant presence of Highway 55, this plan should be reviewed in conjunction with the ITD STIP to ensure that opportunities are not lost and that the Depart-ment is provided valuable information for consideration with roadway construction or maintenance

Why a Plan for Cascade?

The City of Cascade and the Cascade

Mobili-ty Team submitted a request for funding for technical assistance from the Sonoran insti-tute and their New Mobility West program

The application was considered along with others from a four state area including Ida-

ho, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado The selection committee determined Cascade’s application to be a strong candidate for the limited technical assistance funding and were thus selected The intent of the project was to devel-

op a bicycle and pedestrian plan that achieved several stated goals and objectives Those goals include the following:

1 Developing a community transportation vision that can form the CIP and a project prioritization process;

in-2 Identifying specific transportation needs and potential ject solutions;

pro-3 Developing the framework for an updated CIP;

4 Engaging the public and key stakeholders to generate the input and buy-in necessary for the community transporta-tion vision and an updated CIP; and

5 Providing guidance on funding opportunities

Streets that are paved generally also have some form of walk and in some instances a paved shoulder is provided

side-Due to the cost of paving and larger construction costs, the City does not have the intention of paving many of the existing streets into the foreseeable future It is because of this situation

in part, that the plan is mostly comprised of recommendations for those streets that are paved and have some type of addi-tional designated active transportation element or characteristic

The most significant corridor in Cascade is Highway 55 Through most of the downtown area, the road is a three lane configura-tion that also includes on-street parking Several segments have been improved with significant pedestrian realm enhancements including ten-foot sidewalks, curb extensions, crosswalks, and aesthetic features

The highway currently sees roughly 7,000 vehicles per day, though that is largely seen in the very busy summer months

when recreational activity is at its highest

Recent road projects on the highway have included the replacement of the North Bridge (underway) and the South Bridge as well as a new overlay that will occur

in the summer of 2015

This overlay will include a new striping configuration which is to include a wider shoulder through downtown that will act as a suitable space for bicyclists

Several projects were tified in the Cascade draft comprehensive plan, but since the plan has not been adopted, to date none of the projects have been formally adopted into the Idaho Trans-portation Department’s State Transportation Improvement Plan

iden-or City led effiden-orts

Existing challenges facing the city and area residents are many Due to the nature of the highway and nearby attractions, many freight vehicles, motorhomes, and truck/trailer set ups drive to and through Cascade The balance that is needed is to provide safe crossings and minimal distances and reduce vehicular con-flicts for both pedestrians and bicyclists

Design elements such as turn radius, pedestrian refuge islands, curb extensions, bike lanes, and pedestrian actuated signals all have to be weighed with user demand, vehicle turning needs and the overall economic impacts of visitors operating larger recreational vehicles

Plan Creation

The Cascade Bicycle and Pedestrian plan was crafted using eral methods and inputs The plan began with a series of stake-holder sessions with local residents, business leaders, elected officials, and various representatives from entities who have a vested interested in the success of bicycling and walking in the Cascade area The sessions were held over two full days and included the following elements:

sev-Kick-off Meeting The project kick-off meeting was used to

describe what “walkable” and “bikeable” are, what challenges are posed to the community, and to identify specific corridors

and intersections most in need

of improvement The meeting was also helpful to understand local context, future desires beyond the transportation realm such as future land use and economic development and how the plan could help facilitate the changes sought

Walk Audit and Street Inventory At the conclusion of the

stakeholder meeting the team split participants into two groups and led walk audits of Highway 55 Both groups attempted to evaluate the current system and find ways to improve the use and safety for walkers and bicyclists The team was also at-tempting to further understand the needs of the Idaho Trans-portation Department as the highway plays a role of both re-gional highway and main street The audits yielded many results and concepts that are described in the plan

The remaining city streets and hot spot intersections were ventoried by bicycle to make sure that the team gained a user perspective The team examined several streets, The Strand trail, sites such as Cascade School, the Lake State Cascade Park system, and Cascade Medical Center

in-Implementation Meeting

At the start of day two, the stakeholders reconvened to learn of the initial findings and suggestions pieced to-gether by the team At-tendees learned of the pro-jects, improvements and pre-liminary costs and were asked to help identify priorities to be inserted into the plan as part of a Capital Improvement Plan

Business Forum A two hour block of time was set aside to

specifically converse with the Cascade business community The meeting was robust and included owners of at least a dozen lo-cal or regional businesses Those who attended also got to hear about the preliminary findings, priorities, potential costs, and the impacts that making such investments could have on the local economy and their businesses

Public Discussion To conclude the two-day event, public

meetings were held Two meetings were offered so that bers of the public could choose to attend the one most conven-ient to them and their families The focus of the events were to describe the process, the streets and intersections of focus, ini-tial recommendations, and to get their feedback Attendees were asked to confirm the plan focus areas and to give their input on other elements that were missed or should be consid-ered

mem-Left: Stakeholder meeting, day one

Above: Meeting tendees along the walk audit route

at-Right: Roadway inventory by bike

 Highway 55 South- this critical element of Cascade Main

Street connects the southern end of the community with the heart of Downtown After walking and riding the sec-tion, improvements mainly comprise safety shoulders to promote bikeability with dedicated space for walking, though this is more limited due to land uses

 Highway 55 North- the north section of Main Street is a

connection between downtown and the many recreational land uses north of town along the Payette River Significant improvements are suggested to achieve robust walking and bicycling and to optimize the desired land uses for both res-idents and visitors

 The Strand- The Strand trail is a wonderful river trail that

needs additional connections and enhancements to elevate the trail to world class status New road and trail connec-tions, signage and other improvements would increase use, enhance environmental health conditions, and further the recreational experience in the city

 Pine Street- the Pine Street improvements attempt to take

advantage of the existing asphalt and right-of-way in place but also significantly enhance the street for school children and users of The Strand trail to which it connects

 School Street- Similar to Pine Street, the

recommenda-tions were made after walking the road and seeing the isting width, configuration of the school parking area, and understanding its value aligned parallel with Highway 55

ex-With an enhanced sidepath design, both user groups should find getting to and from the school, Cascade Com-munity Center and Cascade Medical Center, improved

 Sawyer Street- the recommended improvements to

Saw-yer are extensive and will take significant resources ever, if achieved, this newly constructed street will not only provide safe and extensive facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists but could easily be an economic catalyst formed around the concept of active transportation

How- Lake Cascade Parkway- With improvements already

having been made to this street, using existing way to expand the roadway section to accommodate active transportation users is the primary intent of recommenda-tions This road that connects the numerous recreational outlets along Lake Cascade to Highway 55/Main Street, if improved can reduce local car trips and improve safety and mobility for all users

right-of-Access along State Highway 55, as well as safer crossings of the highway, were ideas generated the community meetings and walkabouts Promoting and enhancing The Strand through signage and connectivity was also a major area of emphasis

Proposed corridors for bicycle and pedestrian improvements

 Hwy 55/Lake Cascade Parkway

 Lake Cascade Pkwy/Lake Shore Dr

 Highway 55/Mill Street

N

Prioritization

Having a clear series of priorities can be crucial to ensure that community shareholders all pull in the same direction in terms of support, funding, and implementation Through the project, seven corridors were identified for improvement which ranges from modest to complex To further disseminate which projects are more urgent to accomplish than others, several prioritization meth-ods were used with the various audiences throughout the site visit Participants were asked to list their top selections after learning

of the recommended improvements, cost estimates, and complexity They were then asked what parties and affiliations are needed

to be involved and why the corridors are important to the overall system The general public was also asked to simply list their top three corridors and top three intersections during the public involvement meetings

Once the project rankings from all who participated in the process were collected, each project was ranked from 1st to 7th by ing together the number of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes together and ranking them accordingly This following list is the result of the prioritization exercises and how the corridors compared overall:

Lake Cascade Parkway The Strand Trail

School Street

The Pine Street corridor, which links The Strand trail to Highway 55 and to the Cascade School, rose to the top of shareholder priorities This relatively short street is one of the most critical east/west street connections in Cascade and helps to circulate pedestrians and bicyclists in a unique way With the im- provements along the corridor and at the Highway 55 intersection, the street can be improved signifi- cantly in relatively short order

Priority

Pine Street Improve pedestrian access through minor

widening, sharrows on the down hill side and bike lane up hill RRFB at the intersec- tion of SH-55 and Pine Street

Low to Moderate

Design: $25,000 Construction: $62,000 Total $87, 000

0-3 years

Highway

55 South

Construct plant mix sidewalk from Payette

St to Mill St on the east side of SH-55,

wid-en shoulders on SH-55 from the South bridge to approximately the Whitewater Park entrance

Construction: $42,000 Total $52,000

Moderate to Difficult

Design: $20,000-$80,000 Construction:

$150,000-$250,000 Total $170,00-$330,000

4-6 years

Sawyer Street

Reconstruction of Sawyer Street to Collector road improvements

Construction: $1M-2M Total $1.1M-$2.1M

Beyond 6 years

Lake Cascade Parkway

Widen Shoulders to provide additional width for bikes and pedestrians; install

“share the road” and wayfinding signs

Construction: $62,550 Total $82,550

0-3 years

School Street

Construct paved pedestrian facilities on the east side of School Street from Lake Cas- cade Parkway to Cascade Street

Construction: $67,500 Total $87,500

Types of Improvements

The menu of options below provide some guidance on the types of facility investments Cascade may pursue in implementing improvements identified along the streets and trails within the City The options are intended to provide cost-effective solutions that are proven to heighten safety and awareness

Extruded Curb Side- walks

Bike Lanes

Shared Lane Mark- ings

Buffered Bike Lanes

High bility Cross- walk

Visi- pavement Marker

In-Pine Street from School Street to The Strand

The Pine Street corridor is 35 miles and is a key east/west nection and links Cascade School to downtown and The Strand Trail The road is only partially improved with a dirt road section east of north Front Street

con-The land uses along the route are con-The Cascade School, Cascade Community Church, residential uses and The Strand trailhead

Street Recommendations

School Street to North Idaho

Pedestrian and Bike Realm– reconstruct street segment

to accommodate all users, define the space, slow and calm fic, and add a welcoming feel to the Cascade School complex

traf-Using 47’ of space (1.5’ for each gutter pan + spaces depicted) would give students and residents a truly unique and accommo-dating street

North Idaho to alley way

Pedestrian and Bike Realm– To take advantage of ing sidewalks and permit on-street parking, the one block section should be rebuilt by pulling the parking away from the buildings, and adding dedicated bike lanes This approach minimizes con-flicts by placing riders in front of parking and not in blind spots

exist-With 90’ of space from the back of both walking spaces, room for such a design is possible

Alley way to Highway 55

Pedestrian and Bike Realm– For one block, reconstruct the roadway and the 78’ of existing street width, using a design

to take advantage of existing sidewalk space, and that modates on-street parking Additionally, the intersection with Highway 55 has curb extensions, which require bicyclists to be aligned in a manner away from the curb unlike the North Idaho

accom-to alley way section

Highway 55 to The Strand trail connector

Pedestrian and Bike Realm– this section is a mixture of paved and unpaved roadway and is mostly in residential areas and near the railroad spur Minimal treatments are needed cur-rently, though future consideration should be given to using the designs described when paving or significant reconstruction oc-curs

Highway 55, from Pine Street

to the South Bridge

The southern section of the Highway 55 corridor is

approximate-ly 1.45 miles and is comprised of two principal designs including

a paved shoulder section mostly towards the south and a curb, gutter, sidewalk section in the downtown core Ensuring ade-quate space along this section would allow a network to form for bicyclists and pedestrians and foster movement to land uses along the route and those that connect with the highway, like Kelly’s White Water Park

Land uses along this corridor include the downtown core, City Hall, The Cascade Store, D9 grocery, American Legion Hall, City Park, Fischer’s Pond, The Strand trail, Kelley’s White Water Park, Cascade Sports Complex, and Southern Valley County Recreation District

Recommended Improvements:

Highway 55 and Mill Road

Pedestrian Realm

Highway 55 and Cascade Street

Pedestrian Realm

Mill Street to Payette Street

Pedestrian Realm

fash-ion as the blocks north

South Bridge to Mill Street

Pedestrian and Bike Realm

highway to a consistent five feet This is particularly problematic from the South Bridge to the entrance of Kelly’s White Water park

While on site, the consultant team rode most of Cascade’s streets and the Highway Video footage was collected for later use and demonstration purposes While watching, it is particular-

ly evident how the existing paved shoulder shrinks as the clist travels north The usable space is minimized to a point where users body and buffer space protrudes into the travel lane due to necessity and having a solid navigable surface